Reggie Wyatt remains the standard when it comes to the prep 300-meter hurdles. He still holds the national high school record of 35.02 seconds from 2009 during his senior year at La Sierra.

The USC senior has waited four years to reach the pinnacle of college track in the 400 hurdles and the opportunity finally has arrived today for him to take the next step in his journey with an NCAA Division I outdoor title.

Whether it’s been reigning NCAA champion Amaechi Morton of Stanford, this year’s world outdoor leader Johnny Dutch — the 2010 winner at South Carolina — or former Taft standout Jeshua Anderson, a three-time national champ at Washington State, there’s always been a roadblock in Wyatt’s title pursuit.

After posting the fastest semifinal time of 49.23 seconds Wednesday, Wyatt is in position at 4:40 p.m. today to become the first Trojan since Felix Sanchez in 2000 to capture an NCAA crown in the 400 hurdles.

“It’s been a long journey and there’s been a lot of learning along the way, learning from my mistakes and what I need to do in order to fix them,” Wyatt said. “This is a big step for me.

“This, right here, is what I’ve been training for. I took advantage of all those opportunities running against the best to gauge myself in terms of where I’m at and where I need to be.”

Wyatt has thrived from his training with former USC standout Ryan Wilson, the 2003 NCAA champion in the 110 hurdles. Wyatt broke Wilson’s decade-old Loker Stadium record in the 400 hurdles May 12 at USC by clocking 49.17 to win the Pac-12 title.

“His coaching and his training style have helped me tremendously,” Wyatt said. “Working with him has benefited me a lot and has given me the confidence to achieve my goals. I’ve just had to remain focused and patient.”

Wyatt returned from a hip flexor injury to finish third in a personal-best 49.11 at last year’s NCAA final.

Wyatt, motivated by teammates and fellow NCAA finalists Bryshon Nellum and Aaron Brown, has continued to demonstrate his resolve and toughness throughout the season in order to compete in his final NCAA championship race.

“All year, all fall season, all spring, we’ve been motivating each other, working each other hard and keeping up one another’s spirits,” said Nellum, a finalist in the 200 and 400.

“When your teammates come through, it helps you stay strong. It prevents you from slipping through the cracks. Our motto at USC is ‘Don’t look back.’ Whatever happened in the past, let it go. It’s all about what are you going to do from here on out.”

Wyatt also is trying to break the 49-second barrier for the first time — looking to become the fourth American this year to do so — but is more concerned about winning the title in his third NCAA finals appearance.

“I feel like 400 hurdles is probably one of the toughest in America with the world leaders this year. I just want to go out there and make my mark and do what I can do,” Wyatt said. “I would like to run 48-low or better, but I’m just focused on the victory.

“I know the time will come.”

Brown and Nellum each have two chances to capture a national title, but Wyatt’s opportunity comes first in the schedule, which would provide another big lift for the Trojans following Remy Conaster’s second-place finish Thursday in the hammer throw in their pursuit for a top-10 team finish Saturday.

“I like to say quality over quantity. We’ve got five guys here and we feel like we can do a lot of damage,” said Brown, a finalist in the 100 and 200.

“It’s kind of like a pro environment to train with. We’re feeding off one another’s strengths in order to make each other better.”

A more technically polished and determined Wyatt is looking to become the fourth 400 hurdles champion in Trojans history and USC’s first male winner in any event since Noah Bryant took the shot put in 2007.

After being overshadowed by the success of peers and teammates throughout his career, Wyatt is looking to once again become the standard by which his fellow competitors are measured.

“I’ve always been a student and now I’m trying to master the race,” he said. “I’ve been focused on doing whatever it takes, whatever is necessary in order to get there. I trust my training and I trust my body when I step on the track. I’ve been working on my strength, so when the end of the season comes, I won’t be tired and I have a chance to PR.

“I’ve waited four years for this and now it comes down to how bad do you want it.”